2017 Toyota Corolla Altis Previewed Before Official Debut

Close to a month ago, UMW Toyota announced that the 2017 Toyota Corolla Altis facelift was open for booking. A little over a week ago, we got to see the facelifted model at the Thailand Motor Expo, courtesy of our neighbours up North. Thanks to our friends at Autofreaks, we get a first look at the car before its official debut, in a striking red paint scheme no less. Two new exterior colours – Phantom Brown Metallic and Red Mica Metallic – join the four existing choices of White Pearl CS, Silver Metallic, Grey Metallic and Attitude Black. All variants have a black theme for the cabin.

As you would expect with a facelift, the front and rear bumpers get a change. There are new LED headlights and daytime running lights across the range, fitted into a sportier looking front bumper. This particular model is the range-topping 2.0V variant, replete with an optional aero kit to sharpen up the looks.

On the inside there are very few changes, although the driver and passenger side vents are now ball shaped and the climate controls have been streamlined to make operations a little easier. The Corolla Altis had a fairly unique interior at the time of its launch a few years back, following on from the flat-face design of the Toyota 86. Reverse Link Tilt Down wing mirrors have also been added and automatically tilt down when in reverse gear to enhance visibility of the area along the sides and help ease parking.

While Sport mode is now available across the range, the rest of the powertrain has hardly changed with this facelift. What is important is the addition of safety equipment, namely in the form of 7 airbags as standard across the range, along with Vehicle Stability Control among other electronic safety aids. This really helps to push the Corolla Altis up in terms of value and it counters accusations of cost cutting on UMW Toyota's part.

All variants also come with driver and passenger seatbelt reminders, ISOFIX points, front and rear parking sensors, seatbelts with pretensioner and force limiter, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). At point of purchasing the new Corolla Altis, customers can also upgrade their infotainment system to enjoy more features and capability. A Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is also available to record the view ahead while driving.

As mentioned before, UMW Toyota now offers a 5-year manufacturer's warranty that can be transferred to the next owner. The prices for the variants of the 2017 Corolla Altis are as follows: